Brands must build human connections, focus on what consumers care, says Phil Kemish

The clutter in the media space and lack of focus is not allowing advertisements to reach consumers and tapping the audience is becoming more challenging for marketers, said Phil Kemish, Co-founder, Disrupt Marketing and Brandtrepenuer.

Speaking at Goafest last week, Kemish said it was important for brands to build human connections with consumers through strong storytelling.

“Instead of interrupting people and trying to put content where they’re not, brands should find where the people are and go to them where they are,” he said.

Kemish talked about the need for a shift in marketing standards from traditional marketing to ‘marketing with an attitude’.

He said lasting brands move people, not goods and elaborated on the 4 Ps of marketing with attitude. The four Ps are purpose, passion, people and physical, the way brands can connect better with customers.

He talked about what disruption can brands put forth to build relationships with customers in a clutter where they don’t want ads on their screens, at all.

He said it is predicted that in the next 10 years, over 40% of the Fortune 500 would no longer exist and the way brands communicate and conceive content is going to change. No audience cares about advertisements and over 600mn people use ad blockers, he said.

77% of the consumers wouldn’t even care if the brands disappear, he said, adding brands can’t buy attention anymore, they have to earn it.

“It is time we start thinking differently. It is about human advocacy. Brands have to understand it. It is about earning attention, and building human connection,” he said.

Kemish said purpose, the set of shared values between brands and consumers, should be fundamental to every brand that wants to connect to Gen Z or millennials. Brands need to think what they are selling to people, he said.

Mentioning people, the brands’ tribes, he said they make a brand. He said, “Influencers have become a way to help brands to connect with people and are assets to brands. It is about human impressions and not advertisements anymore.”

Brands need to ensure there is a long-term ownership between them and influencers, like for six or 12 months, and should have their fans on board to win engagement and the trust of the audience.

At the same time, brands have to understand the real passion of people and create content around it to grow themselves.

He added, “When brands know and understand passion, they create communities. If you bring people together and support their passion, you build real brand fans. Connecting people with passion brings community and not consumers.”

And to build that relationship, brands need to get physical with people. Technology is changing and so is the way brands connect. Brands need to tap the space, where audience is majorly present.

“Understand what people want, what they believe in what they care about and get there. Add values to their lives and entertainment. Empower them,” Kemish concluded.

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